Thalhimers Cake and Thrifting In Richmond, VA

I am visiting my hometown of Richmond, VA this week. I have had such fun visiting places I enjoyed growing up here and re-living some fond memories. One of the fondest memories was the six-layer chocolate cake my grandmother would bring from the Thalhimer's Bake Shop. The brick-shaped cake was always placed in a black and white checker box with string keeping the sugary goodness inside! The coveted piece of this wonderfully chocolaty cake was the end piece where a good deal of the icing resided.

Thalhimers and my dear grandmother are no longer with us. But my grandmother's sweet memory lives in everything I create on her fabulous 1930's sewing table. AND the recipe of the Thalhimers cake has been resurrected by the Ukrop's Supermarket bakery. The black and white checker box is gone now, replaced by a plastic container, but the cake is still as delicious as ever! Here is a picture for your mouth to water over!

Here's a delicious cross-section!

Oh, yes, and I got the coveted end piece!

Now, I just wouldn't leave you to drool and wonder what this wonderful cake tastes like. Here's the recipe! Have yummy fun!

Thalhimers' Bakery Six Layer Chocolate Cake

Yellow Cake:
1 cup solid shortening, such as Crisco
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Icing:
3/4 cup hot water
4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 1/8 teaspoons hot water

Yellow cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat shortening and sugar with a heavy-duty mixer on a medium setting for about 2 minutes. One at a time add the eggs; beat until yellow disappears. Alternately mix in dry ingredients (salt, flour and baking powder) with the milk, ending with the dry ingredients. Blend in vanilla extract. Pour batter into 2 baking pans (about 17 inches long by 12 inches wide by 1 inch deep) filled 1/4 inch deep. Bake for 30 minutes, checking for doneness after about 20 minutes. Cool. Cut into 6 rectangular slices 8 inches long x 4 1/2 inches wide.

Chocolate icing: Slowly mix hot water into powdered sugar. Add the melted chocolate. Beat by hand until smooth. Add 1 1/8 teaspoons water. Beat again. Frost one layer of cake and put another layer on top and frost. Let it sit a minute to set or the layer may slip off. Repeat until all six layers are frosted. Frost top, sides and ends. Cake size should be 8 inches long by 41/2 inches wide by 4 inches tall.

One tuesday, I popped into a new Goodwill shop and found these plastic flowers! Then I went into the Quaker Thrift Shop and found the red and white polka dotg fabric and the cute pale blue ribbon! Next door to the Quaker Thrift store, is the Midlothian Antiques Center. I found one sweet item: the little girl Valentine bell. She will no doubt be the centerpiece of a future pin cushion!

I ate lunch here:

I had two donuts to fuel me for more antiquing! Why not??? This Krispy Kreme Donuts on Brad Street in Richmond has been here forever, however the building is updated from the old one I remember with it's small counter and screen door where you could peek through and see the donuts being made coming down the conveyor belt. This was the best place for a late-night sugar fix! I hope to blog more tomorrow about more antique mall finds!